That very day, after the event concluded, the happenings of the day stirred up a huge wave in the capital, leaving countless people in awe.

At the same time, the name Chen Yuan became thoroughly famous throughout the capital!

Previously, his fame was mostly confined to Qingzhou, diminishing significantly beyond its borders, with the primary recognition being his top ranking on the Potential Dragon List.

As for the capital, very few people were familiar with this matter.

After all, at this time, transportation and information were still quite limited, making it impossible for everyone to know.

But this time was different. Chen Yuan's challenge to the Sumeru Illusion Realm and his slaying of the number one genius of the Eastern Ying occurred before tens of thousands of people, instantly making Chen Yuan a household name.

Inside a certain tavern, an old man in ragged blue clothes, carrying a pot of wine, frequently took swigs, drawing eager gazes from those around him.

"Old Deng, hurry up and tell us!"

"Yes, you're killing me with suspense."

"Damn it, I had something to do yesterday and missed such a big event. What a shame!"

The old man, known as Old Deng, let out a long, boozy burp, followed by two peanuts, and then began to speak:

"Alright, since everyone wants to hear, I'll tell you about it."

"Tell us."

"Hurry... Hurry..."

"Yesterday, at the third quarter of Weishi time, hundreds of thousands of citizens gathered around the capital. They saw the Eastern Ying dwarf Ito Itto standing in the air, inviting a challenge, wanting to see the skills of our Central Plains martial artists..."

"The first to go up was General Yu of the Ten Thousand Longevity Camp. Speaking of General Yu, he's quite a character, orphaned at a young age, a complete jinx. After a brief exclamation, General Yu was the first to enter the realm."

"Unfortunately, he was ultimately too weak. In just a short while, he fell from the void. If someone hadn't caught him, he would have been smashed into mush."

"The second to go up was the commander of the capital..."

"The third to go up was..."

"What's going on? Can't even one of our Central Plains martial artists pass the barriers set by the Eastern Ying dwarfs?" Someone exclaimed indignantly.

As people of the Central Plains, especially those raised in the capital, they naturally possessed a sense of pride. Now, being challenged at their doorstep by the Eastern Ying dwarfs they usually looked down upon,

They felt utterly humiliated.

"Don't worry, everyone, let me explain in detail..." Old Deng popped a few more peanuts into his mouth and said loudly:

"Dozens of Central Plains martial artists challenged and all failed. Just when everyone was feeling humiliated, Chen Qing Envoy received the order and accepted the challenge, reciting a poem that shook the entire audience.

'Great heroes emerge in times of turmoil, once you enter the martial world, years rush by. Grand ambitions are discussed with a smile, nothing beats a drunken stupor in this world!'"

"Great poem! A truly great poem!"

"Heroic and grand."

"This Chen Qing Envoy is no ordinary person. He was the top of the previous Potential Dragon List, defeating all the heroes of the world and reaching the top of the list in Eastern Sea Martial Emperor City, shaking the world with his fame. Otherwise, the current Emperor wouldn't place such high hopes on him."

"And then?"

"Stop stalling, hurry up!"

"Then, Chen Qing Envoy ascended step by step, reciting the poem he had just written, and said to Ito Itto, the so-called number one genius of the Eastern Ying, 'I will pass through the Sumeru Illusion Realm and cut off your head for fun!' Immediately afterward, Chen Qing Envoy entered the Sumeru Illusion Realm without looking back."

Old Deng recounted the dangers Chen Yuan encountered vividly, as if he were there himself. When he stepped onto the stairs in the first level, he suddenly paused like everyone else, making countless people anxious.

In the second level, he faced a fake body and engaged in a fierce battle, even falling into a disadvantage. Hearing this, the watching citizens unconsciously clenched their wine cups and held their breaths.

Later, when he spoke of Chen Qing Envoy breaking through on the spot, everyone felt a burst of relief.

Next, Old Deng talked about the most terrifying third level: the sky-covering, sun-blocking tentacles, hundreds of feet long, with eight heads, like a demon god.

Afterward, a round sun transformed into a Buddha, merging with the eight-headed, eight-tailed monster and pressing down on Chen Qing Envoy, crushing the ground.

The mountains trembled, and the winds and clouds changed in the nine heavens.

The Buddha was going to judge Chen Yuan, declaring him guilty and wanting to completely suppress him.

At the most critical moment, Chen Yuan, unafraid of difficulties, drew his sword, and a voice of shared determination echoed throughout the heavens and earth: "Slay it!"

When he spoke these three words, the listeners in the tavern were all filled with boiling blood.

They couldn't help but shout it out loud.

Old Deng then described the battle in detail, saying it was earth-shattering and turned the world upside down, making them hate that they hadn't witnessed such a scene.

If Chen Yuan were here, he would probably feel strange.

Was this even about him?

Everyone said it was, so it was!

He spoke of Chen Yuan angrily slaying the Buddha, splitting the sky with a single strike, shattering the so-called Sumeru Illusion Realm with one slash, and countless people cheered. He spoke of Chen Yuan glaring at Ito Itto.

Shouting out such heroic lines as, "When autumn comes in the ninth month, I will cover Eastern Ying with swords and enjoy the cherry blossoms."

He spoke of Chen Yuan killing Ito Itto with three strikes.

He spoke of the unanimous cry of "Eastern Ying dwarfs, come forward and die!"

"Good!!!"

"Well done, deserves a reward!"

"That's damn satisfying!"

"These Eastern Ying dwarfs should be beaten hard."

"I heard that there are Eastern Ying women in the brothels. Damn it, I'm going all out today and helping Chen Qing Envoy out, appreciating the place where the cherry blossoms bloom."

"Count me in, count me in."

"Too late, you guys can forget it. The brothels are full of people today. Those few Eastern Ying women have all their time slots filled."

"Old Deng, what's next? Is there more?"

Those were just interludes. Most people were still focused on what Old Deng would say next.

"Of course there's more. This time, Chen Qing Envoy showed our nation's might and defeated those Eastern Ying people. The Emperor directly issued an edict, conferring a title of nobility upon Chen Qing Envoy."

"What title?"

"This is a great merit, it shouldn't be low, right?"

"Naturally not low. Chen Qing Envoy was directly made an Earl, with the title..."

"Good, good!"

"Now Chen Qing Envoy is completely famous in the capital, but this is what he deserves. I'm not jealous, on the contrary, I want to congratulate him."

"I heard that Chen Qing Envoy is only in his early twenties. He's probably the youngest Earl in our Great Jin, right? I wonder if the Emperor will bestow a princess on him or something."

These discussions were prevalent throughout the entire Divine Capital City.

This day was also Chen Yuan's most glorious day.

In the streets and alleys, from officials and nobles to common people, everyone was chanting Chen Yuan's name.

The impact didn't stop there. Yesterday's battle would definitely be recorded in history. After all, this wasn't just an ordinary exchange or challenge. It was related to foreign barbarians and had to be recorded.

In fact, this wasn't the first time Chen Yuan had been recorded in history. Before, when he defeated all the heroes of the world in Eastern Sea Martial Emperor City and reached the top, the history books had already recorded a few lines.

But the coverage wasn't large, far less than this time.

The number one genius of the Central Plains versus the number one genius of the Eastern Ying had to be written about in great detail.

It also had to be written that Emperor Jingtai had an eye for talent and ordered Chen Yuan to fight and challenge. Emperor Jingtai didn't say a word about the previous people, only Chen Yuan was the one he actively signaled.

And Chen Yuan lived up to his expectations, how could it be glossed over?

The historian wouldn't agree, and Jingtai wouldn't agree either.

In addition, these civil officials were also discussing Chen Yuan's title of nobility.

That day, Jingtai only said that he would make Chen Yuan an Earl, but the specific title had to be researched and judged by them. After all, this wasn't something that could be done in an hour.

It had to be approved by Jingtai.

And it was about this title of nobility that the discussing civil officials had a big fight.

Some suggested the title of Loyalty and Bravery, Loyalty and Martial Prowess, some suggested the title of Martial Peace, and some suggested using Chen Yuan's place of origin as the title, Peace, Nanling, and so on.

After endless debate, a highly respected Confucian scholar finally made a decision.

The title was Martial Might.

Meaning to use martial prowess to display might... perfectly fitting the scene of that day.

Finally, this title was presented to Jingtai, and he nodded in agreement.

At this point, Chen Yuan became the youngest Earl since the founding of the Great Jin.

Earl of Martial Might!

......

......

With the issuance of the imperial edict, Chen Yuan's title of Earl of Martial Might was finalized. Of course, Jingtai couldn't just give an empty title without a fief. To compensate Chen Yuan.

In addition to the gold he mentioned earlier, he also rewarded a large amount of spiritual tea and wine, as well as a set of armor.

This was the most valuable thing among the rewards.

Because this wasn't just ordinary armor, but spiritual armor!

On the market, it would cost at least twenty Yuan Crystals to exchange for one, but Chen Yuan wouldn't usually wear this thing ostentatiously.

He already had an official uniform.

Most of the time, it could only gather dust in the Heavenly Book, unless he encountered a strong enemy would he wear this thing.

In addition to the armor, Jingtai also gave him a mansion in the capital where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.

It used to be the mansion of a Marquis of the Great Jin, but due to the decline in status, it couldn't retain wealth and could only be sold, later it was taken back by the royal family.

Now, this Marquis Mansion without much fame had also become Chen Yuan's foothold in the capital.

Martial Might Earl Mansion!

From then on, those whose status and rank were lower than his, in addition to calling him "Your Excellency," also had to call him "Earl!"

The youngest Earl of the Great Jin!

After years of hard work, he, Chen, could be considered a genuine nobleman in this Great Jin. Although his official rank hadn't changed, his status had been elevated invisibly.

His title was on par with the four Divine Envoys of the Sky Surveying Department.

Standing in front of the Martial Might Earl Mansion hanging with red silk, Chen Yuan concentrated and stood quietly, watching. Tao Qingyuan on the side was also a little dazed. In the blink of an eye, Chen Yuan had not only become his immediate superior,

But had also been made an Earl.

The gap was getting bigger and bigger...

"Earl, shall we enter the mansion?"

Tao Qingyuan chuckled.

Chen Yuan nodded with approval:

"Enter the mansion!"

Inside the Martial Might Earl Mansion, everything except the house was new. The servants and maids were all people with clear backgrounds whom Chen Yuan had entrusted Tao Qingyuan to buy.

A total of more than ten people all bowed to Chen Yuan:

"Greetings, Earl!"

"Greetings, Earl!"

"Greetings, Earl!"

To be honest, Chen Yuan's gains from that battle were indeed not small. He not only tempered his heart but also obtained these riches and honors. These were all things he had earned with his life.

Originally, Tao Qingyuan was also planning to prepare a few more beautiful maids to serve Chen Yuan.

But Chen Yuan righteously refused.

He, Chen Yuan, the Earl of Martial Might, didn't indulge in women!

Of course, in his heart, he didn't trust these randomly found women either. Who knew if they were spies planted by someone?

He was now in a high position with great power, and there was bound to be someone who wanted to probe his intelligence.

So he still had to be cautious.

Before he reached the highest position, he wouldn't relax his vigilance in the slightest.

Chen Yuan didn't know much about his Earl Mansion, and he only fully understood it with Tao Qingyuan's guidance. He entrusted all these matters to Tao Qingyuan.

He didn't fail Chen Yuan's trust. In just one day, he had prepared everything.

Waiting for today to welcome Chen Yuan into the mansion.

During the stroll, Tao Qingyuan congratulated Chen Yuan again. He was also there when Chen Yuan challenged the realm that day. To be honest, he suddenly felt that Chen Yuan was a little strange at that time.

His literary talent, his arrogance, his eyes that feared nothing.

They all made him feel that Chen Yuan was very different from when he was in Nanling Prefecture.

And this... had only been a little over a year.

Then, what changes would he undergo after another year?

When he saw Chen Yuan being cheered by the crowd, he thought a lot, but the most important thing was still a belief, which was to hold on to Chen Yuan's thick thigh.

Zhang was too far away from him. A Profound Connection martial artist like him couldn't get into the eyes of that Envoy Zhang. It was better to seize the present. As someone close to Chen Yuan as he grows up?

Wouldn't he also ascend to heaven with him?

Moreover, he wasn't completely useless. Although his potential had reached its limit, he still had the ability to do things. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sit firmly in the position of Nanling Green Envoy for so many years.

Tao Qingyuan congratulated Chen Yuan, saying whether he would become a駙馬 (Imperial Son-in-Law) in the future.

After all, the first choice for imperial family marriages was usually nobles.

And someone like Chen Yuan, who not only had the status of a noble but was also young and powerful, at least in Jingtai's dynasty, there was no one who could compare.

No, not to mention compare.

Many people couldn't even compare to half of him.

He was definitely the first choice for those imperial women to be their ideal husband.

But Chen Yuan's reaction was minimal. He had no interest in becoming an Imperial Son-in-Law and becoming Jingtai's son-in-law.

His character was self-reliant and independent, and he had no interest in doing this kind of thing.

He wasn't enthusiastic about women either, and he would be bound by various rules.

He just wanted to be enfeoffed in a remote place to live freely, so as not to be trembling with fear in the capital.

That night, in the Martial Might Earl Mansion, Chen Yuan and Tao Qingyuan had another hearty drink, drinking the spiritual wine bestowed by Jingtai, which tasted really good. And after he opened his mansion.

The other Divine Envoys all sent gifts respectively.

Princess Pingyang, the First Prince Sima Qian, the Second Prince Sima You, Li Hongshuang, and some officials who wanted to befriend Chen Yuan all sent gifts.

Except for... the Fourth Prince Sima Ke, because his current situation was very bad.

The conflict between them had escalated to the surface. After the Sumeru Illusion Realm challenge ended that day, someone had fully informed him of what happened in the court that day.

Who it was wasn't important, what was important was that Sima Ke didn't like him very much.

And he mindlessly colluded with those Eastern Ying martial artists.

How could those seasoned officials in the court not see this?

How could Jingtai, who had been the Emperor for decades, not see this?

That day, Chen Yuan had only passed the Sumeru Illusion Realm, saving face for the court. If he hadn't passed, Sima Ke's end would have been even worse, even being demoted to a commoner.

Because this was colluding with the enemy, an unforgivable crime.

Therefore, Jingtai had reminded Consort Yang that day, with the intention of reminding Sima Ke.

It was a pity that he didn't get the hint and never admitted his mistake.

And then.....

Then something happened.

Someone directly reported this matter to Jingtai, causing him to be furious, and he denounced the person who reported it. No matter what, this was the face of the royal family.

How could outsiders overstep?

But even so, the news still spread.

For a time, the court and the public were in an uproar.

Even if Jingtai ordered a gag, it couldn't be stopped. And the one who jumped the most was Guo Peng, the official of the Ministry of War whom Chen Yuan had talked to that day. He repeatedly reported to Jingtai, hoping to severely punish the Fourth Prince.

Now Chen Yuan knew why the fortune teller said that he would die young on the streets before the age of thirty. With such an upright character, it would be strange if he didn't die.

And it was also because of this matter that Chen Yuan knew that this Brother Guo wasn't so simple either.

He was originally a disciple of a contemporary Confucian scholar, with an academy as his background.

But even so, he was still punished by Jingtai's imperial decree.

But he had also achieved his goal. This matter had been brought to the surface, and Jingtai had no choice but to exercise the power of the Emperor and severely punished the Fourth Prince.

He was ordered to write a thousand Buddhist and Taoist scriptures carefully in the harem with his mother and concubine.

His power in the Ministry of Rites was also uprooted.

It was unknown whether it was the Emperor's intention or the instruction of his two good brothers, but in short, the Fourth Prince Sima Ke's strength was greatly weakened after this battle, and he had already opened a great distance with the First Prince and the Second Prince.

Consort Yang begged Jingtai for mercy, but was rejected once again.

He was told to discipline Sima Ke, and if such a thing happened again, the consequences would be even more serious.

And as the greatest price, Sima Ke's uncle Yang Hucheng also suffered a very severe punishment, his family was directly confiscated and exiled to the frontier, never to return to the capital!

With such a ruthless punishment, Yang Hucheng was actually implicated by Sima Ke this time.

Jingtai didn't punish his son too deeply, but he took a heavy hand on this relative of the Emperor.

Chen Yuan only learned about these things later.

He didn't go to stir up trouble again or pour cold water on Sima Ke. He understood that if nothing unexpected happened, Jingtai's eyes were probably on him.

Because no matter what, Sima Ke was still Jingtai's son, the current Prince.

The royal family had its own dignity, and outsiders were not allowed to overstep.

The uproar in the capital continued and continued to spread to the nearby states. Chen Yuan had shocked the world in one battle and became famous in the martial world again.

Because this time, he not only passed the Sumeru Illusion Realm but also killed the number one genius of the Eastern Ying, Ito Itto, on the spot, and he was only at the Celestial Pill cultivation level.

Generally speaking, those who enter the Celestial Pill realm are qualified to enter the Earth Ranking.

Chen Yuan's record of killing a Celestial Pill grandmaster made his entry even more unquestionable.

What many people were concerned about was what his ranking would be this time.

The Seventy-Two on the Wind and Cloud Ranking, where will he end up?

——————

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